


Never Forget Who You Are

by EllipsisCool



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Male-Female Friendship, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21675079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllipsisCool/pseuds/EllipsisCool
Summary: A quiet moment between Zuko and Katara.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 114





	Never Forget Who You Are

The fire danced in his hand. It would be so easy to set the baby portrait on fire, to erase this relic of his father’s life, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Even after he finally stood up to him and resigned himself to the fact that Firelord Ozai must die, the man still held power over him.

“Zuko? Are you ok?” 

He started at the sound of her soft voice and dropped the portrait, the flame flickered out leaving him blinking in the sudden darkness trying not to meet Katara’s sparkling blue eyes. Her concern made him bow his head in shame. He felt mortified.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just couldn’t sleep,” he said to his lap. 

She walked across the porch and sat down on the stairs next to him. “Zuko, you don’t have to do that anymore. We’re here for you.” She scooted a little closer. “I’m here for you.” 

“I . .. couldn’t sleep.” He knew it was a lame response, and he knew she wasn’t going to drop it. She’d either prod until he broke or she’d get mad and stomp away. Either way one of them was going to end up yelling. Probably both of them.

This time he had her pegged wrong. Instead she quietly said, “Me either,” and stared out toward the ocean, the warm breeze gently blowing her hair. “Why didn’t you burn it?” 

“Good question,” he scoffed. He wanted to be angry with her even though he knew that was ridiculous. Anger was easier than talking about his feelings. Why was she up anyway? Shouldn’t she be sleeping? Or looking after Aang? Why did she care so much? 

“It’s ok to be conflicted about him. He’s your father. You’re not weak because you still love him,” she said it like it’ was a matter of fact. Like it should be easy to love your father. His head swam with all the reasons why he should hate him. He wanted to start screaming them into the night.

“Easy for you to say. Your dad isn’t planning genocide. Your dad didn’t - “ He couldn’t even finish that sentence, but his hand went reflexively to the scarred side of his face. Katara gasped.

“You mean he . . .oh Zuko. I didn’t know.” 

He made himself look at her. Her hands stretched toward him like she wanted to touch him reassuringly. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes and the smoldering outrage at what his father did to him. This was new for both of them. He didn’t know how to have this conversation and she didn’t know how to help someone who, up until recently, was a subject of her own rage, but she wanted to and maybe that was enough.

“We used to be happy. Or I thought we were. Especially here, at Ember Island. When it was clear that Azula was the better bender, my father decided I was a disappointment.” 

Katara finally decided to put her hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and continued.

“My mother disappeared when I was eleven. My father wouldn’t tell me where she went. Things got much worse then. I trained hard to be the best bender I could be and in sword fighting. I excelled at learning history and politics, but it was never enough. Azula was always better. The day her fire turned blue, our father threw her a party and made a point to belittle me in front of the entire court. So I decided I would be a strategist. That’s when I asked Uncle if I could attend a war meeting.” 

Zuko took several deep breaths to calm himself before continuing. Katara waited. 

“In the meeting, one of the generals suggested that new recruits be sent out as bait on the front lines. I was horrified that he would suggest wasting Fire Nation lives and said so. I didn’t think my father would condone such a plan, but he said I disrespected the general and sentenced me to fight an Agni Kai. I didn’t know it would be against my father. I refused to fight him and . . .” 

Unbidden, the tears streamed down his face. He felt like he couldn't breathe. The night air felt oppressively hot, his face was on fire again. Usually these fits came on in the night when he lay alone. He’d forgotten Katara sat next to him until her arms wrapped around him. The shock of it rattled him back to the present. His face rested in the crook of her neck. She smelled like the ocean and something flowery he couldn't place.

Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. They stayed like that for a long moment before she pulled back and looked directly at him. 

“You’re with us now, and we’ve got your back. This isn’t all about you atoning for the past. When you first came looking for us, I thought we couldn't trust you, but I was wrong. You’re the most honorable person I have ever met. This,“ she put her hand on his scarred cheek, “does not define you. It’s a part of you, but I don’t even see it when I look at you anymore. You’re just you. You’re Zuko.“ 

His mother’s words echoed around in his head, _Never forget who you are._ Katara took his breath away with her sincerity and her ability to constantly surprise him. He didn't know what to do or say in response. She took her hand away and stood up leaving him feeling a confusing mixture of longing and relief. The portrait crunched under her foot, and she picked it up. “What should we do with this?” 

He smiled at her use of “we.” He really wasn’t alone. These new people in his life weren’t just keeping him around because he was useful or they felt bad for him. It was because for the first time in his life, he had real friends. Smiling wider he ignited a small fire in his hand.


End file.
